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Louisville police department staffing 'in dire straits' amid high crime rates, recruitment woes: union
Nearly 190 cops left the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) in 2020 and 43 have stepped away from the Kentucky city's agency so far in 2021, either choosing to retire or resign altogether, as law enforcement officials struggle to recruit new members to make up for a deficit in manpower, authorities and a union spokesperson told Fox News on Tuesday. "I would say that we're in dire straits," said River City Fraternal Order of Police press secretary Dave Mutchler, speaking to the current condition of LMPD staffing. Mutchler also serves as a spokesperson for the Louisville Metro Officer Union. Statistics provided by LMPD on Tuesday show the department has hired 26 new members so far this year, while 43 have left. The 1,069-person department falls 255 people short of its "authorized strength" of 1,324 -- the number of personnel it is authorized to employ, statistics show. Meanwhile, LMPD hired 104 new members in 2020 but lost 188 to retirement or resignations, according to data. By the end of last year, LMPD employed 1,163 police personnel, instead of its 1,324-person "authorized strength." From 2013 to 2019, the difference in actual employment numbers and "authorized strength" has ranged from 45 to 101. In 2020, it climbed to 161 before reaching 255 year-to-date in 2021, statistics show. "Our manpower is critically low," Mutchler told Fox News. "One thing we have to consider when we're talking about recruiting is that in the climate that we currently find ourselves, the pool of people wanting to become officers is shrinking every day." CLICK HERE FOR MORE ON OUR TOP STORY.
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- Greg Gutfeld: Media ignores good policing while highlighting the bad Biden's lack of 'designated survivor' at Congressional address means Yellen could become POTUS in disaster
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen would become president of the United States in the case of a hypothetical Capitol disaster since President Biden has not named a "designated survivor" for his Wednesday address to Congress. A designated survivor is the person in the presidential line of succession chosen not to attend an event in the case of a mass casualty event that kills all other potential successors; designated survivors typically stay in an undisclosed location during important events. "There does not need to be a designated survivor because the Cabinet will be watching from their offices or their homes," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a Tuesday briefing when asked whether the president would have a designated survivor during Wednesday's speech in light of COVID-19 audience restrictions keeping some Cabinet members home. The White House clarified to Fox News that because of the White House's decision, Yellen would take over as president in the case of a catastrophe unless Democratic Vermont Sen. Patrick Leahy, Senate president pro-tempore, decides not to attend the event in person, in which case he would fall next in the line of succession. CLICK HERE FOR MORE. In other developments:
- These lawmakers say they won't attend Biden's address to Congress
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- White House refuses to allow more reporters to cover outdoor Biden speech on relaxed CDC guidance
- Why Biden's address to Congress is not a State of the Union speech U.S. Navy fires warning shots on three Iranian fast boats that got too close
The U.S. Navy fired warning shots on three Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) patrol boats in the north Persian Gulf Tuesday, after verbal warnings by U.S. forces were first ignored. Fast inshore attack craft (FIAC) were used to approach the USS Firebolt and U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat USCGC Baranoff, at what Naval officials called "an unnecessarily close range with unknown intent." After warnings by the U.S. vessels through radio and loud-hailer devices went ignored by the Iranian patrol boats, the USS Firebolt warning shots – prompting the vessels to retreat. A Navy official said U.S. forces used "pre-planned responses" to de-escalate the situation, avoid collision and reduce risk of miscalculation. CLICK HERE FOR MORE.
In other developments:
- Iranian warships menace US vessels in the Persian Gulf in latest provocation
- Iran's long history of terror and aggression
- ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC all skip John Kerry controversy over alleged leaking of Israeli intel to Iran
- Pompeo slams Iran news: 'When I was briefing Trump, Kerry was briefing Zarif' CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
TODAY'S MUST-READS:
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SOME PARTING WORDS  Sean Hannity examined the controversy surrounding Biden climate czar John Kerry on "Hannity" Tuesday and allegations disclosed in the New York Times the former secretary of state divulged Israel's covert operations in Syria to Iran.
"According to one of Iran's top diplomats, a guy by the name of Mohammad Javad Zarif, claims that John Kerry compromised one of our top allies – and potentially us in the process – by divulging top secret, sensitive information," Hannity reported.
"Did John Kerry reveal Israeli covert actions to Israel and the U.S.'s single biggest enemy – the number one sponsor of state terrorism worldwide?" he added. "Well, that would mean all plausible deniability for covert operations would be dead, gone and buried, covert operations and assets on the ground risking their lives – they would be in imminent danger, they'd likely be murdered – something we wouldn't know and Kerry is saying this didn't happen. The Times is standing by its story." Not signed up yet for Fox News First? Click here to find out what you're missing. Fox News' Go Watch page is now available, providing visitors with Pay TV provider options in their area carrying Fox News Channel & Fox Business Network.
Fox News First was compiled by Fox News' Jack Durschlag. Thank you for making us your first choice in the morning! We'll see you in your inbox first thing Thursday. GUIDE TO PERSONAL FINANCE Sponsored by Credible:
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